It is known to ship steel coils by container. However, placing, for example, a 53,000 lb coil of steel upright on a conventional pallet would impart localized loading on a standard container floor which would exceed its design capacity. As well, although open frame containers have been developed which permit side loading or loading by way of a crane, there are relatively few of these containers in circulation. Accordingly, known methods for shipping steel coils often involve relatively expensive, bulky pallets which are loaded with coils, which are slid or rolled into a container for use and which spread the load of the coils over the container floor.